News
Divided by deportation: ‘Hope is what I lean on’
If cranberries decorate your Thanksgiving table or a Christmas wreath adorns your home, you might have Margarita Reyes Pacheco to thank. She’s a Mexican immigrant farmworker who spends 10-hour days picking berries and weaving wreaths, which Spanish speakers call coronas, until her hands ache so much they wake her at night. Reyes Pacheco came to…
Youths experiencing homelessness tell their stories through short films
The opening scene: 23-year-old Jacob Averi speaking at his mother’s memorial, his sister at his lefthand side. His mother was a drug addict throughout his life. His eulogy addresses her directly. His first sentence: “I forgive you.” “I don’t want you to miss us or be sad or feel guilty anymore,” he said at the…
Director’s Desk: Every penny counts when you support Street Roots
Supporting Street Roots has never been more important. When you give a donation to Street Roots, you’re sending a message that you still believe in humanity. You’re sending a message with your money. Israel Bayer is the executive director of Street Roots. You can reach him at israel@streetroots.org or follow him on Twitter @israelbayer. In…
Vendor Profiles
Street Roots vendor writing: One step at a time
I was the oldest of five children. My father was a functional drunk, a mean drunk. My mother was an angel. The atmosphere in my home was one of electric stress. My father had high expectations for me because I was the oldest. To make matters worse, he despised me. One day I noticed that…
Culture
‘Psychic Utopia’ takes Portland audience off the grid
The atmosphere of Hand2Mouth Theatre’s new production “Psychic Utopia” befits its title – ethereal, intimate, experimental and brimming with flora and fauna. The play is centered on the experiences of the thousands of people who immigrated to the Pacific Northwest in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s, seeking a different kind of life through off-the-grid communities:…
Youths experiencing homelessness tell their stories through short films
The opening scene: 23-year-old Jacob Averi speaking at his mother’s memorial, his sister at his lefthand side. His mother was a drug addict throughout his life. His eulogy addresses her directly. His first sentence: “I forgive you.” “I don’t want you to miss us or be sad or feel guilty anymore,” he said at the…
These veterans have ‘lived something extraordinary’: Portland student listens, shares
The Portland Veteran’s Project came out of the blue for me. I knew I liked history and writing, but it only came together when I had the chance to visit Washington, D.C., last year on a school trip. Our group was running perpetually late, so we didn’t get to go to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial…
Reclaiming the Constitution: Ed Asner challenges right-wing revisionist history
Famous for channeling his inner grouch, actor Ed Asner reached a tipping point last year in the build-up to the 2016 election. The multi-Emmy-winning actor was fed up with the U.S. Constitution and its authors being co-opted to endorse partisan ideology and to deify candidates by association. It was the misrepresentation – and outright lies…
Opinion
Director’s Desk: Every penny counts when you support Street Roots
Supporting Street Roots has never been more important. When you give a donation to Street Roots, you’re sending a message that you still believe in humanity. You’re sending a message with your money. Israel Bayer is the executive director of Street Roots. You can reach him at israel@streetroots.org or follow him on Twitter @israelbayer. In…
Editorial cartoon: Nov. 10, 2017
Portland native Elizabeth Considine is the creator of Street Roots' editorial cartoon, Sheeptoast. Want to see more Sheeptoast cartoons? VIEW OUR GALLERY
